The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-11-02

Grammar school at Hartford, Conn. For
seven months he studied theology at Andover,
and for year and six months he was tutor
at Yale college.
I'm December, 1926. Mr. Beecher was or
dained as pastor of Park street church, Bos-
ton He filed that pulpit for four years and
then accepted the presidency of Illinois col
lege. and held it for fourteen years He thO
became pastor Of Salem church, Boston, and
was there twelve years. Resigning that he
took charge of the First Congregational
church in Galesburg, Ills. and filled that post
for fifteen years During some years of that
time he lectnred in the Chicago Theological
seminary on the christian Organization of
Society"
Asa journalist Dr. Beecher has done some
excellent work in religious journals. In 1876
he removed 10 Brooklyn, and for time was
on the editorial staff of The Christian Union.
He also preached in various churches in that
city and vicinity, and at length became mis-
sonarv pastor Of the congregational church
Of Parkville.
As an author Of theological literature DR..
Beechcr has made his mark His works are.
"The Kingdom Of God, Baptism lis I'M
port and Modes "The Papal Conspiracy"
THE Conflict of Ages" The Concord Of
Ages. - History Of Opinions on the Scrptural
Doctrine Of Retrbution," and six Ser
mons ON the Nature, Importance and Means
of Eminent Holiness Throughout the Church.
Besides all this put forth in "a permanent
form he made many contributions 20 The
Spirit of the Pilgrims, The Boston Recorder.
The Congregationalist, The independent, The
Quarterly Biblical Repository, The Biblio-
theca Sacra. and The Christian Spectator.
These articles wOus make volumes. Some
of them are very elaborate aud the result of
much study
The two volumes of widest and most
lasting scope and interest are the Con
aict Of Ages and "The Concord of
Ages They grapplc with the theory
of the roincarnation OF the soul, now so much
espousod by theosophists and people who in
cline TO Buddhism Dr. Beseher thought
Such G the subject OF "the sins of the
fathers being visited on the children even
unto the third and fourth generation and al
last il occurred to him, and the light came as
a flash, that the re-emhodimcnt Of the spirit
and letting it bear It's own penalties, instead
Of those of its earthly parents, presented the
clearest simplest plan of perfect justice
When he put forth that view many said 10
him: "But why punish human beings for sins
they do not remember 30 have committed
He always answered: as it not more just TO
punish them for what they do not remember
to have done than to punish them for what
t!sey never did at allN The Conflict Of
Ages created a tremendous sensation in or
thodox and ecclesiastical circles when it ap-
peared thirty-four years ago.
The fundamental positions which DR..
Beecher took in both Conflict" and "Con-
cord were arrived at after a long continued
mental conflict, in the midst of the Unitarian
controversy and what is called the old school
and new school controversy. He adopted
them in 1927, the first year of his ministry in
Boston, but they were SO wide reaching and
momentouS, 50 far ahead of the generally ac-
cepted thought of the day, that he felt it
duty 10 study thoroughly their evidences and
relations before publishing them Not till
1853 did the Conflict ~ Ages" appear. 1t
brought ont AN avalanche Of reviews, replies
and criticism. These DR.. Beecher considered
carefully, and in 1860, in the Concord OF
Ages" he vindicated the theories put forth
IN the Conflict and also explained the de
yelopment of the ultimate results of his re
embodiment belief.
The interest which these books aroused
conferred, not in the denial of any funda-
mental doctrine of the orthodox system, but
on placing the doctrine of original native
dcpravity on the basis of fall in a pre-ex-
istent state instead of the common doctrine
Of the fall OF Adam, supposed to be taught in
Rom. ", 1913. u. q.